Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Bridgewater Continues Fiery Start for Vikings

The stats from Teddy Bridgewater’s first three possessions of the preseason: 12-of-14 passing for 130 yards, a completion percentage of 85.7 and passer rating of 105.4.

Bridgewater played two series Saturday, went 7-of-8 passing for 86 yards and led possessions that resulted in a 46-yard field goal by Blair Walsh and a 1-yard plunge by Zach Line that was set up by a 24-yard completion to Jarius Wright in the Vikings 26-16 win against the Buccaneers.

Bridgewater left the game with a 9-0 lead in the first quarter, and Shaun Hill padded the stat sheet, following with a pair of touchdown drives in his first action of the 2015 preseason on Saturday at the University of Minnesota.

Hill went 8-for-9 (88.9 percent) for 104 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 154.4 that flirted with the NFL max of 158.3.

Hill connected withCordarrelle Patterson for a 21-yard touchdown after a Tampa Bay turnover and with Adam Thielen on a 15-yard score after a short punt gave the Vikings the ball at the Tampa Bay 34.

Antone Exum picked off the first overall pick of 2015, Jameis Winston, and returned the ball 34 yards to the Tampa Bay 23 to set up the TD from Hill to Patterson. It was the second straight week for Exum to return a turnover more than 30 yards (32 yard return of fumble recovery against the Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game).

Thielen led the way with two catches for 54 yards, Wright finished with two catches for 50 yards, Patterson had two for 29, and Kyle Rudolph had two for 24, including a gain of 18 on the first play from scrimmage. It was the second time in as many games the Vikings opened with a pass to Rudy.

Notes: Phil Loadholt suffered what was initially believed to be an Achilles injury on the second play of the game and replaced by 2015 fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings. … Tackle Carter Bykowski, an Eden Prairie native suffered a shoulder injury. … Everson Griffen and Gerald Hodges each recorded sacks of Winston. … Fans observed a moment of silence before the National Anthem in honor of Bill Zimmer, father of Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer and grandfather of linebackers coach Adam Zimmer. Bill Zimmer passed away Tuesday night, and his funeral is scheduled for Monday in Florida. Mike Zimmer improved to 6-0 in the preseason as Vikings coach.